Portland bans fireworks to counter new state law

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- The Portland City Council is banning fireworks in response to a law passed by the Maine Legislature that legalizes fireworks after Jan. 1.

In approving the ban Monday with little discussion, the council took the advice of its Public Safety Committee, which endorsed the ban after Fire Chief Fred LaMontagne testified Portland is too densely populated to allow fireworks.

City spokeswoman Nicole Clegg says fines would range from $200 to $400 for people who possess or use fireworks and $500 for selling them.

The ban only includes "consumer" fireworks, which federal regulations define as any device that's designed to produce a sound and contains as much as 130 milligrams of explosive material.